Gentle Comfort, Willing Friendship
by Silverblacktears
Summary: Set in the Dali Inn after the incident with the second black waltz ... everyone needs friends.


Gentle Comfort, Willing Friendship  
Pilotslover (29/04/04) Info: Set in the Inn at Dali, after the incident with the second black Waltz. Disclaimer: All places and characters are not mine but what happens to them is, if you did want to use this anywhere you would have to ask. Rating: PG, generally well behaved but best to ask parental consent Authors note: I realise now that some of this is a little wrong but the idea seemed to work to me *shrug*. Finally, I hope that you enjoy it. ~*~*~  
  
Zidane perched on the rafter of the inn, tail idly flicking backwards and forwards. After having beaten the second Black Waltz they had returned to the inn to rest, Vivi had seemed to be the most exhausted but he had learnt something that would be considered highly traumatic for any one. He knew impulsively that the young mage was not asleep, just pretending to be for the sake of any one else who was awake. "It's hard to sleep with Rusty snoring like a broken airship huh?" He asked softly, there was no reaction from the boy, not even a shift in his body. "I'll give you this Vivi; you pretend to be asleep pretty well." With incredible gentleness, Vivi pushed up enough of his hat to be able to see Zidane perched on the rafters above him; yellow eyes glowing in the dull light. "So, what do you think to Rusty's snoring?"  
  
Vivi sat up, casually adjusting his hat; he looked to the monkey tailed youth again. "Here, why don't you join me?" The mage looked a little shocked to asked such a question and Zidane swore that he saw the hint of fear in Vivi's eyes.  
  
"N-no, I'm all right down here."  
  
"I can't hold a quiet conversation with you if you're down there,"  
  
Vivi's eyes seemed thoughtful for a while, before holding a mischief Zidane had never seen before; the mage always seemed so unhappy. "W - Why don't you come down here?" The young mage asked logically.  
  
Temporarily shocked by Vivi's logic, Zidane countered quickly with a smile. "Because it's better up here," The smile widened. "You'll be alright, I won't let you fall." The boy seemed to be thinking about it, bright yellow eyes looking as if they would appreciate a higher up perspective for a change. "I promise, if I can help it, you won't fall."  
  
This seemed to satisfy Vivi's eyes and Zidane wondered how long it would take them to persuade the young mages cautious brain that it would be all right. Tentatively, Vivi stood on the bed; Zidane reached down and grabbed hold of an offered up hand, pulling him up before leaning casually against a support beam.  
  
"H - He does snore a lot."  
  
Trying to get used to the way Vivi spoke, Zidane realised that he spoke with great maturity for one so young at times; he also seemed to stammer when he was very nervous. "Are you alright?" Zidane asked at length, his eyes lingering on the ceiling rather then Vivi whose eyes were already on his hands, which were rested in his lap, he seemed to be thinking.  
  
"W - When everything makes sense I think I will be."  
  
Garnet stirred in her sleep, turning over, Steiner snorted in his. "Pride of the castle guard," Zidane could not help but say, shaking his head. He looked to Vivi, who sat in complete silence, quite a feat for a nine year old.  
  
Both stayed silent for a long time, very awkward, Zidane could not think of what to say to the boy and Vivi seemed to be waiting for him to continue. "I - I ... enjoyed the play. I'm sorry I spoilt it for you all." It took Zidane a while to recognise what Vivi was talking about, before smiling at him.  
  
"I'm glad that you liked it, and you didn't spoil it. Why were the guards chasing you Vivi?"  
  
The Mage looked away for a second, shuffling uneasily before looking back. "I ... spent a lot of money on a ticket ... but it was a fake ... so another boy helped me into the castle to see the show." He offered softly, reliving the memory in his brain. "I was really upset when I found the ticket was a fake."  
  
"I can imagine."  
  
Zidane lent back slightly, his tail reaching down for a chocolate bar on the cabinet beside his bed, flicking the bar into his hand accurately. "Want a bit?" He asked in soft tones, offering a bit for Vivi, who shook his head. Zidane snapped of a bit of the bar and chewed it for a while, before sticking out his tongue. "Yuck! Uh ... that is horrid. You were right not to take a bit." He spat it into a piece of paper and shoved it into his pocket, smiling at Vivi. "I think that's off!" He laughed and Vivi's shoulders shook with silent mirth; he almost fell over backward but Zidane's quick reactions managed to stop him, supporting the mages back with his tail.  
  
Zidane's eyes went to the small water feature in the middle of the room, watching the water move within it. "So, what do you think it's for?" He asked Vivi, motioning the feature with a nod of his head. Vivi seemed to shrug, and Zidane supposed it had been a random question. "I think, feel free to correct me if I'm wrong, that it's in case you need to pee in the middle of the night." Vivi started to laugh and Zidane forced himself to keep a strait face. "What are you laughing about? I'm deathly serious." Yellow eyes went to his brown ones and Zidane started to laugh too. The two fell silent for a while.  
  
"You're friend Blank, the one you fought in the play, he gave you the map didn't he?"  
  
Zidane nodded, "He's not dead you know Vivi, he's petrified, I'll rescue him at some point." Vivi nodded, he knew that Blank was not dead just petrified. They lapsed into silence again; Steiner mumbled something in his sleep and Zidane chuckled slightly. "He said, 'mama where's the Chocobo?'" Zidane told the mage, whose hearing was not as keen. Vivi laughed silently again, prompting another laugh from Zidane. Garnet's eyes opened and she shrieked upon seeing the two perched on the rafters, both Vivi and Zidane lost their balance due to the shock of Garnet's shouting; falling onto the bed beneath them.  
  
Zidane sat up, rubbing the tip of his tail, either he or Vivi had landed on. He looked to Vivi, who seemed to have landed all right. Steiner was soon awake and brandished his sword at Zidane, who rolled backwards and fell off the bed, taking Vivi with him. Zidane looked indignantly at the knight who seemed more concerned about something else, it took the thief a while to realise that he had landed on Vivi's arm, the mage's eyes were closed in pain. Getting up quickly but carefully, watching what he was doing with his tail, Zidane could not get out of the way quick enough and Steiner pushed him aside, picking Vivi up and putting him on the bed. "Master Vivi, are you all right?"  
  
Yellow eyes opened slowly, "Oh ... I'm fine," He murmured, a hand rubbing his arm. "I'll be all right." Garnet moved to them, her staff in her hand, ready to cast cure on the young mage. "I'll be alright, Dagger." He pushed the staff away. "It's just a bruise."  
  
"I'm sorry Vivi," Zidane offered. "I didn't do very well at keeping an eye on you." Vivi seemed to shrug and he probably would have smiled too.  
  
"I am sorry also, Vivi." Garnet apologised in a small and yet very noble voice. Thinking quickly for something to cheer Vivi up, Zidane saw the perfect opportunity in what Garnet had said. He looked at her, pretending to look annoyed.  
  
"I'm sorry Dagger; I can't let Vivi accept that. You have to say it properly." He winked at Vivi, knowing somehow that the mage was smiling in return. He looked to Garnet for a long moment, hoping she would play along with it.  
  
She looked annoyed with Zidane briefly but seemed to realise that there were things that were more important at present then her personal pride. "Sorry, Vivi," She offered. "I didn't mean to shout, seeing you both up on the rafters was something of a shock." Zidane coughed deliberately and looked at her purposefully. "Oh ... really scared me."  
  
Vivi rubbed at his arm again, it was sore. "It was my fault; I was supposed to be asleep." He seemed to be sad, and Steiner rested a supporting hand on his shoulder. Zidane realised that the conversation he and the mage had had, had served as a distraction to the boys troubled mind; now all he had to think about was the incident in the caves, and the machine below them that still spewed out puppets.  
  
"You are not to fault, Master Vivi. Had this monkey not encouraged you ..."  
  
Snapping from his thoughts, Zidane looked to the knight. "If he'd have wanted too, I would have taken him to sit on the roof, Rusty. Look, I think we could do with a bit more sleep before we board the airship." Vivi sat between the two, watching the exchange. "We'll all feel a bit better in the morning." They moved to their beds and lay down on them.  
  
Zidane waited patiently for the sounds of Steiner's breathing, before moving silently to the door and pulling it open. He slipped out of the inn and went to lie in the fresh green grass outside.  
  
He looked up to the sky, light lingered on its distant horizon but above his head, stars still shone, becoming duller and duller as the sun made its slow way into the sky. His tail twitched at its tip contentedly, but he wished it would not because he knew how hurt Vivi was by everything that had happened. He heard a door creak open, and footsteps crossing the grass towards him. "Is your tail all right?" Asked a soft voice, Zidane's eyes went backwards and to the side, where the young mage stood looking at him. "I landed on it; I thought that must have hurt."  
  
"It's ok, what about your arm?"  
  
"It'll be fine,"  
  
"I guess you can't sleep either huh? I was going to lay here and watch the sun rise; I'd have asked if you'd wanted to come if I knew you were awake."  
  
Vivi sighed, ducking his gaze so that Zidane could not see into his eyes if he had wanted too. "I - I can't sleep, not here, it ... it makes me feel so different." Zidane nodded slightly, he thought he understood this; he knew he had to think of something else to take Vivi's mind off the machines somewhere beneath them.  
  
He thought for a moment, his eyes on the dulling stars; Vivi stood still at his side looking at the grass, the light to his yellow eyes also dulling in the pale dawn; seeing this, a thought came to Zidane's mind. "You ever watched the sun rise before, Vivi?"  
  
Vivi took a slight double take, before looking to Zidane. "Oh ..." He shook his head slightly, "No, never."  
  
With a cheery smile, Zidane patted the ground besides him before folding his arms behind his head casually. Vivi sat with his neck craned and Zidane chuckled. "It's more relaxing when you lie down." They mage did so, but he did not seem at all relaxed, hands folded over his front. "I think sunrise is magical, not like your magic or Dagger's but natures magic." He caught his error, "That's not saying yours and Dagger's isn't natural." He raised one knee, placing that foot flat on the grass.  
  
After a long but comfortably still silence, Vivi moved one arm so that it was out at his sides, palm flat on the grass. "W - Why does Steiner keep calling you monkey?" He toyed with the red ties on his coat for a few moments before resting that hand flat on the ground too.  
  
Without looking to the mage, Zidane shrugged. "Because he's an idiot," He commented mildly with a chuckle. "I guess it's because of the tail, it's simply the truth." He shrugged again. "It really doesn't bother me." Vivi clenched his left hand, crushing blades of grass in his small palm.  
  
He started to cry softly to himself, hiding his face behind his right arm. Zidane looked sideways to the mage. "Vivi," He attempted, sensing the boys sorrow rather then being aware of it due to physical signs. "Please ..." Zidane pleaded slightly, "Don't cry Vivi – I don't know what to do." Vivi tried to stop himself crying, finally drawing his arm from in front of his face.  
  
His breath caught, "Oh, Zidane, it's beautiful." Zidane, who had turned on to his side when Vivi had started crying, turned back and followed his gaze to the sky; the morning sun hung lazily on the horizon. Rich yellows, oranges and blues flared into existence. "I can't believe I've never done this before." He sighed, trying desperately to ignore the jittering laughter of children nearby; the pain was a little too hard to ignore alone, he turned his head to Zidane. "T - They keep ... laughing at me." He told the monkey tailed youth softly, "The children who live here."  
  
Zidane sat up, pretending to be stretching as he looked around; it would do none of them any good if Vivi were taken again. His tail thrashed the air behind him in a series of complicated 'S' shapes, he was not content any more, infact the children worrying his friend aggravated him on some level. "They've just idiotic kids Vivi. They've only seen ..." Zidane trailed off knowing not to mention the puppets. "... People just like them before."  
  
"I'm just a kid too,"  
  
One of the children charged around a nearby corner, crossing to the well on Zidane's other side. Knowing that the girl would either have to go through or around him to get to Vivi, Zidane deemed her no real threat and lay down again. Steiner rushed out of the inn, and Garnet walked calmly behind him, they crossed to them. "Master Vivi, I feared you had been taken."  
  
'Clearly they didn't teach tact in Guard training.' Zidane thought to himself but bit his tongue before saying it. Garnet sat besides Vivi, before lying back with her hands on her stomach. "I - I just came outside ... to speak with Zidane." A small voice offered; Vivi did not sit up as he spoke, still engrossed in the sunrise. "I decided to ... watch the sunrise; I've never seen one before."  
  
"Relax Rusty, I've got it covered."  
  
Steiner's eyes went to the thief, who patted the scabbard on his left hip purposefully, with a barely perceivable nod of his head towards Vivi. Smiling to herself, Garnet pulled gently on the white part of Vivi's glove to get his attention, pointing to a part of the sky. "That part is almost the same colour as your jacket. This is a quite incredible sunrise." She said softly, hoping that Zidane had not heard her revert to her own tones. "You chose a good one as your first, Vivi." The mage stayed in silent thought, unseeing eyes on the sky.  
  
"The sky's so big, I feel so small watching it unfold."  
  
Garnet's eyes went to Zidane, who shrugged slightly, was it any great surprise that Vivi was so down? "Rusty, move your butt, I can't see." Steiner looked annoyed but moved anyway, sitting next to Garnet. "Really, when you think about it, there are worse ways to start a day." Zidane murmured, relaxing a little but still keeping an eye on the girl.  
  
'The monkey IS an idiot; Master Vivi has more important things to be thinking about then sunrises.' Steiner thought bitterly, before becoming aware of watching eyes. He looked around to see that the girl by the well was watching them, eyes continually darting to Vivi, who still lay quietly. Steiner glared at her when she next looked his way and she stuck out her tongue in return. Feeling a little more annoyed, he turned from her. "When are we leaving?" He asked, keen to board the airship and return to Alexandria.  
  
"When the suns up, Rusty."  
  
They fell silent again; Garnet and Vivi watching the sunrise as Zidane and Steiner watched the girl. Birds began to twitter and the echo of the Chocobo's call could be heard from the well. Moving her right hand from her stomach to the ground, Garnet sighed gustily and looked towards Vivi from the corner of her eyes, trying to imaging how he felt.  
  
A small hand touched her palm, which had been facing the sky; having not turned her gaze from the mage, it was no great surprise when he turned his head to her. "I'm all right," He whispered softly. "I - I know she's watching me."  
  
Zidane sat up abruptly, looking towards Vivi. "You do?" He asked softly, catching the slight nod of Vivi's head. "Well then, why didn't you say?" With that, he sprang towards the girl with both daggers ready; she shrieked in shock and ran away. Chuckling to himself, Zidane put the daggers away before laying back down. "That's better, she was giving me the creeps and she wasn't even watching me!" His eyes went back to the sky; the bottoms of clouds caught the light and they seemed to shine, the forms of small birds drifted before them lazily.  
  
"C - Captain Steiner?"  
  
"Yes, Master Vivi?"  
  
The mage looked towards the knight, "C - can you lay down please? The light from your armour is hurting my eyes." Zidane had to stop himself from laughing as the Knight did exactly what the boy had told him to do, "Thanks." He still had not moved his hand from where it rested on top of Garnet's; drawing some form of support from it. He did not feel safe in the village now, having friends made him feel a bit better and being in contact with one of them seemed to help.  
  
"This is nice; I could very well lie here all day." Garnet announced in her real voice gaining a cough from Zidane. "Oh ... it's great here, I don't want to move. Better?" Zidane nodded, noticing out of the corner of his eye that Vivi was laughing again. "It's so relaxing," She closed her fingers around Vivi's hand, squeezing it slightly, and he did the same back, more for her sake then his own. Whilst lying in the morning sun was relaxing, he just wanted to get away from the village.  
  
He waited a few more minutes before letting go of her hand, standing, stretching slightly and adjusting his hat. The others looked at him, concern in their eyes as if worried he was about to run away from them. "Is something the matter, Master Vivi?"  
  
Shaking his head, he looked to the Knight of Pluto, "N - No, not really. I'm just going to collect my staff." He looked to the sky, in which the sun had now blossomed, heralding a new day.  
  
"I'd better get mine too," Garnet said, standing and giving a big stretch. "We'll meet you here soon."  
  
Vivi had already reached the door by the time she had finished speaking, having to use his full weight to push it open. Once in the room, Vivi reached for his staff quickly, "Thanks," He murmured with his back to Garnet so that she could not see his eyes, "F - For holding my hand."  
  
"It was my pleasure."  
  
She took her staff, holding it in both hands in front of her. "Ready?" She asked and the mage nodded, trying to ignore the questions and thoughts running through his brain. "We should not linger here any longer," She offered logically. Vivi nodded again, adjusting his hat and looking up her, his eyes seemed duller now that the sun was up.  
  
"I'm ready now," He moved closer to her, so that he was right in front of her. "Thank you Princess Garnet Til Alexanderous 17th." He whispered bowing slightly to her. When he looked up, she smiled one of her most confidence boosting smiles and him.  
  
"Please Vivi, there's no need to stand on formality, it's just Dagger now."  
  
As if thinking he had done something wrong, Vivi backed away from her, his body language wrought with nervousness. "We'd better hurry, or else Steiner and Zidane will have killed one another." She joked and Vivi's small shoulders shuddered in silent laughs.  
  
~*~*~  
  
Zidane watched Garnet and Vivi leave, making sure they were inside before he turned to Steiner. The Knight Captain looked uptight and nervous, and Zidane hoped he did not look that bad. "Lay off the panic ok, Rusty?"  
  
Steiner looked a little startled, looking towards the boy. "What?"  
  
Casually, Zidane lent against the well, hearing the call of the Chocobo below. "Vivi's worked up enough about all of this without us being worried too. We're all ... well I know I am and Vivi has to be ... confused by all this; if we don't show it, it makes Vivi feel a bit better." He looked imploringly towards the knight, hoping he had not been wrong in judging Steiner as someone who would not do anything to hurt Vivi's feelings.  
  
Both fell silent, waiting for Vivi and Garnet to appear, the two shortly did so. Vivi's eyes seemed a lot happier and Garnet was smiling, making it clear that the two had shared some kind of joke. 'At least Garnet knows to try to raise his spirits.' Zidane thought to himself, smiling back at the two.  
  
Despite the smile to his eyes, Vivi still was not happy but he was willing to hide it for the others, they all seemed to be all right with everything. 'Those ... mages in the cave are ... not real. But what about me? Am I real? If I'm like them and they are like me, then surely if they're ...Do I really look like them?' He followed the others quietly, trying to act as normally as he could.  
  
~*~*~  
  
END 


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